A North Nashville short-term rental became the scene of an alleged burglary Friday morning when a sleeping guest reportedly woke to find a stranger holding his wallet. Police say the suspect fled, but officers tracked him down nearby.
According to WSMV, Metro Nashville Police Department officers responded around 7 a.m. to the home in the 1400 block of Phillips Street. A male resident and his wife were asleep when the man woke up and saw 26-year-old Lonnie Ridley holding his wallet. Ridley allegedly got inside by balancing on a trash can to reach a window.
Police Say Suspect Hid Behind North Nashville Church
Ridley reportedly ran from the house and was found a few blocks away, hiding behind Mt. Zion Baptist Church on Jefferson Street. The arrest affidavit says he admitted breaking in because he needed money to “eat and get high.” No injuries were reported in the account of the incident.
Ridley is charged with aggravated burglary, theft, evading arrest and assaulting a police officer, with bond set at $131,000. The charges and allegations detailed in the arrest report have not been proven in court, WSMV reported.
Earlier Nashville Burglary Case Involved Nissan Stadium Vehicles
Friday’s arrest follows a January case involving Nissan Stadium’s Lot T, where Ridley was accused of burglarizing three vehicles and trying the doors of 10 others. In a release, the Metro Nashville Police Department said surveillance footage helped identify him after items including money and a purse were reported stolen.
Police also said Ridley was free on bond when he was arrested in January on charges tied to November 2025 arrests for attempted aggravated burglary and theft. The sequence of cases places Friday’s alleged break-in within a broader string of burglary-related accusations in the Nashville area.
